This is a Caribbean Gin, distilled in genuinely small batches: no more than 200 litres at a time. This is the same for all of our spirits, but worth mentioning again here as 200 litres is uncommonly small batch; as opposed to other small batch distillers who use up to 1,000 litre stills. The reason we obsess over 200 litre stills is because this is an ideal size for having control over the distilled spirit that comes out: namely, being able to make precise cuts to the spirit to remove the heads and tails that we don’t want, and keep the heart of the spirit, which we do want. It’s very difficult to tell where to make this cut at the best of times; hence the art and experience required for good distilling.
We use our own water to cut the spirit down from approximately 80% ABV off the stills, down to 45% ABV bottling strength. The water is filtered by reverse osmosis (RO) to an exceptionally pure standard: over three times purer than Evian water.
The 45% ABV has been chosen for a reason. This is the exact alcohol balance where the flavours balanced best: above 45% and the citrus becomes too strong, and below 45% the juniper/coriander balance goes out of kilter. At 45% Dr John has been able to best combine a selection of bright and vivid flavours that all jump out of the gin; but without any one taking dominance.
The other advantage to 45% ABV base spirit is that there is simply more alcohol to hold all the flavours. This means the gin literally has more flavour in it than a gin with a lower strength. Usually this would mean the spirit also tasting stronger, harsher and with more burn: but this is where our bespoke base spirit comes into play, alongside Dr John’s distilling expertise.
Even at 45% ABV, this gin is smooth enough to sip neat: there’s more of the good stuff and less of the bad stuff (the heads and tails) that burn in your throat, which is the same bit that gives you a hangover the next day. Yes, that’s right: this gin will give you less of a hangover. This goes for all of our spirits, but it’s such an important factor that it’s worth mentioning again!
And last but not least, it's lovingly and artisanally handcrafted with care and passion: just in case you weren't sure.